CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a release late Tuesday night from the governor’s office.
The result came after the governor had a “sudden onset of symptoms,” the release states.
It goes on to say, “The Governor, who is fully vaccinated and boosted, is experiencing moderate symptoms and is isolating at home.”
Justice, who will be receiving monoclonal antibody treatment, is being treated by several medical doctors, including state COVID Czar Dr. Clay Marsh.
“Gov. Justice is in communication with his Chief of Staff and office staff to ensure that state government continues to operate smoothly,” the release states.
The governor was scheduled to deliver his State of the State address from the Capitol at 7 p.m. Wednesday. According to the release, it will be delivered by written message to the state Legislature “to satisfy constitutional requirements.”
Justice will deliver his actual address at a later date.
“While I was surprised that my test results came back positive, I’m thankful to the Lord above that I’ve been vaccinated, I’ve been boosted, and that I have an incredible support system, especially my loving family,” Gov. Justice said in the release. “That being said, I feel extremely unwell at this point, and I have no choice but to postpone my State of the State address to the Legislature. I woke up this morning with congestion and a cough. A little while later, I developed a headache and fever, so I decided to get tested right away. The rapid test that I took came back negative, but by the late afternoon, my symptoms were still getting much worse. My blood pressure and heart rate were extremely elevated, and I had a high fever. Finally, my PCR test results this evening confirmed I was positive. Because of all this, I began receiving my antibody treatment and I hope this will lessen these symptoms.”
Dr. Marsh released the following statement:
“The Governor took the exact right course of action today. He got tested at the first sign of a COVID-19-related symptom, isolated himself, and, because he is over 65 years of age, he consulted with a doctor and was prescribed a monoclonal antibody treatment. I have full confidence that Governor Justice will recover quickly, and it’s because he chose to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and his booster shot. Without the immunity afforded by those vaccines, his outcome could be much worse. I continue to strongly encourage all West Virginians to take the COVID-19 vaccine and get boosted when it’s time to do so. Everyone is susceptible to this infection, and with cases in the U.S. and in West Virginia at all-time highs, there has never been a more important time to get yourself and your family vaccinated.”
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